Walmart apologizes for refusing to print breastfeeding picture

EDMONTON, Alberta, May 15 (UPI) -- An Alberta woman said she was "pleased and shocked" when Walmart apologized for refusing to print a picture of her breastfeeding her baby.

Kayla Andre, who lives in the Edmonton area, said her husband had attempted to have the picture printed at Walmart so he could frame it as a Mother's Day gift, but the store refused to print the photo, citing a policy against printing pictures with nudity, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported Wednesday.

Andre said she planned to hold a mass breastfeeding event at Walmart Thursday to protest the event but decided to cancel the demonstration when she received a call Tuesday from Walmart's Canadian head office.

She said officials apologized to her and said the workers had erred in refusing to print the photo.

"Lots of people were saying, 'You can't do anything, it's Walmart. Nothing's going to change,'" Andre said. "I'm actually really, really pleased and shocked and surprised that someone from head office ... contacted me and remedied the situation."

Corporate Affairs Director Alex Roberton, who called Andre Tuesday, said stores across the country have been informed that breastfeeding photographs do not violate the company's policy.

United Press International is a leading provider of news, photos and information to millions of readers around the globe via UPI.com and its licensing services.

With a history of reliable reporting dating back to 1907, today’s UPI is a credible source for the most important stories of the day, continually updated - a one-stop site for U.S. and world news, as well as entertainment, trends, science, health and stunning photography. UPI also provides insightful reports on key topics of geopolitical importance, including energy and security.

A Spanish version of the site reaches millions of readers in Latin America and beyond.

UPI was founded in 1907 by E.W. Scripps as the United Press (UP). It became known as UPI when after a merger with the International News Service in 1958, which was founded in 1909 by William Randolph Hearst. Today, UPI is owned by News World Communications.